What We’re Watching: A lack of lull around SNC-Lavalin

A lull in the SNC-Lavalin saga? Not if the opposition parties can help it.

With a full week left to go before the House reopens for business, the two main opposition parties have once again joined forces to keep the SNC-Lavalin controversy from dropping off the political radar by forcing another “emergency meeting” of the Commons justice committee.

The purpose: To discuss the next steps in the ongoing probe of the alleged attempt to pressure former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould into intervening in the criminal prosecution of the embattled Quebec engineering firm. Or, as the letter of request co-signed by Conservative and New Democrat committee members puts it, the latest “developments in the accusation that the prime minister and his closest political allies conspired to stop the criminal trial of a company accused of bribery.”

Among the issues expected to come up at Wednesday morning’s session is whether to recall Wilson-Raybould to respond to the testimony from the prime minister’s former principal secretary, Gerry Butts. Last week he provided a very different account of the interactions between himself and the minister than those offered by Wilson-Raybould when she testified before the committee last month.

So far, the Liberal MPs who control a majority of votes at the table have seemed distinctly reluctant to invite the former attorney general back for a second go-round. That said, they haven’t yet come out with a final “no,” and instead have suggested that it might be worth considering bringing her back at a later time.

Not surprisingly, that view doesn’t seem to be shared by their colleagues on the other side of the table. They may be even more determined to haul in high-profile witnesses to offset any potential waning in public – or media — interest in the case, particularly with Finance Minister Bill Morneau poised to release his pre-election budget next week.

As for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he’ll no doubt be keeping apprised of the latest twists and turns in the plot from his temporary workstation in Florida. According to his office, that where he’s set to spend the next few days with his family, albeit while likely fielding a steady stream of calls and emails from back home.

Meanwhile on the pre-election hustings: With just one week to go before he makes his long-awaited House debut, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh is set to go public with his party’s plan to “reconnect with Quebecers” at a Monday morning press conference in Montreal. As per the notice, he’ll be flanked by his Quebec lieutenant, Alexandre Boulerice, as well as Quebec caucus chair Brigitte Sansoucy.

Not surprisingly, the words “SNC-Lavalin scandal” appear nowhere on that notice, but given the choice of venue, it’s hard to imagine the controversy won’t come up when Singh opens the floor to questions from reporters.

Given the distinctly different political dynamics that have defined the unfolding saga in Quebec, he might want to be ready to defend his party’s hard-line rejection of any deal that would allow the Montreal-based company to evade criminal prosecution on bribery and fraud charges related to alleged past misdoings in Libya.

Of course, there are always outliers and anomalies. The Quebec ‘punditeratti’ has offered a markedly more nuanced take on the potential benefits of such an outcome than their compatriots in the rest of Canada. And while that’s not necessarily reflective of Quebec public opinion writ large, it should at least be factored into the New Democrats’ pre-campaign playbook. After all, there is no reason to go out of their way to pre-emptively alienate any significant chunk of the electorate that might otherwise be receptive to the party’s overall message.

Meanwhile, making the rounds on the Liberal fundraising circuit this week: Transport Minister Marc Garneau joins Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey for an “Evening With…” reception on Wednesday evening. His cabinet colleague Jim Carr is booked in for a Laurier Club reception at the University of Saskatchewan that same night.

The following night, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen will be the “special guest” at a $200-per-head reception to fill the coffers of the Winnipeg South Federal Liberal Association.

Finally, People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier is set to rally supporters in Edmonton on Wednesday night.

Also out and about this week

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains heads to Stoney Creek to outline what his office is billing as “significant new funding” to bolster Ontario’s embattled steel and aluminum industry. Specifically, his morning visit to Nova Steel will bring a fresh tranche of federal support for “small and medium-sized manufacturers and users” of the tariff-battered metals “in all regions of Canada.”

Back in the capital, Official Languages Minister Melanie Joly marks the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act by hosting a town hall event at the University of Ottawa to launch a review of the legislation. While she’s there, “university students and representatives from language communities” will “discuss the issues that are driving its modernization.”

In Quebec, a full contingent of Team Trudeau front benchers are set to fan out over the next two days:

Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez will embark on yet another regional mini-tour, with stops in Riviere-du-Loup and Rimouski. (Monday through Tuesday)

Employment Minister Patty Hajdu will drop by a Montreal employment centre to tout her government’s ongoing efforts to offer “skills training and job opportunities for young Canadians.” (Monday)

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor will “highlight a large investment in health research” during a visit to Université Laval. (Tuesday)

Moving west, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale teams up with his provincial counterpart, Christine Tell, to unveil new funding to combat “gun and gang violence” at RCMP Headquarters in Regina. In Edmonton, Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has back-to-back appointments where he’s scheduled to join provincial and municipal officials for “important infrastructure events” at the Lewis Farms Transit Centre and Ellingson Park.

Finally, newly installed Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau kicks off her first agriculture tour in British Columbia. It begins in Vernon, where she’ll detail new help for “BC farmers dealing with farm income challenges,” and continue onwards to Kelowna. There she’ll join local MP Stephen Huhr in a show of support for the province’s tree fruit sector.